The invention generally relates to a video graphics workstation and, more particularly, the invention relates to video signal frame rate matching.
In general, a video graphics workstation is a system of hardware and software that allows a user to process a video signal for use in a number of different applications. For example, the user may process a video signal for display on a computer monitor, for storage on a computer-readable storage medium, for display on a television, or for storage on a video tape.
Typically, however, video graphics workstations are designed to process particular video signals. Thus, most video graphics workstations are not scalable. In other words, most video graphics workstations are not designed to adapt to the changing needs of the workstation""s user.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method and apparatus for video signal frame rate matching, the video signal including one or more frames, the frames represented with frame data, comprises providing a first buffer, a second buffer, and a third buffer, the third buffer having a sequence of frame data. The method and apparatus then reads the frame data out of the third buffer. At substantially the same time, the method and apparatus fills the first buffer with the next sequence of frame data and then fills the second buffer with the next sequence of frame data, continuing to alternate the fills between the first buffer and the second buffer until all of the frame data has been read from the third buffer. Next, the method and apparatus determines which of the first buffer or second buffer has been filled with the most current and most complete frame data. Last, the method and apparatus reads the frame data out of the determined buffer.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the buffer determined not to have been filled with the most current and complete frame data becomes a remainder buffer. The method and apparatus may then fill the remainder buffer with the next sequence of frame data and then fill the third buffer with the next sequence of frame data, continuing to alternate the fills between the remainder buffer and the third buffer until all the frame data has been read from the determined buffer.
In alternate embodiments of the invention, the frame rate of a video signal may be matched to the frame rate of an output device. In this embodiment, the frame rate of the output device may be the same as the frame rate of the video signal, a multiple of the frame rate of the video signal, 24/1.001 frames/second, 24 frames/second, 25 frames/second, 29.97 frames/second, 30/1.001 frames/second, 30 frames/second, 50 frames/second, 60/1.001 frames/second, 60 frames/second, or 75 frames/second.
In further alternate embodiments of the invention, the most complete frame data may be 100% complete. In addition, the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer may store no more than one frame of the video signal.